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YZ client Greg and partner Tina traveled to Kenya and Zanzibar in January 2019. From spotting the Big Five within 24 hours of safari to having a very special Maasai name-blessing ceremony, they enjoyed some amazing adventures.

Tswalu Kalahari

When To Visit Tswalu Kalahari:

Motse has a spectacular location and offers luxurious accommodation, superb service, and exceptionally good game viewing! Children of all ages are welcome here.

OVERVIEW:

Motse is one of only two camps within the private Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. Both are owned by the conservation-minded Oppenheimer family, and the second camp is Tarkuni , available for exclusive use. The camps offer amazing experiences of the reserve’s pristine wilderness! Accommodation is booked on a full-board basis, including all meals, a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, game drives, bush walks, horseback rides, children’s activities, national telephone calls, laundry and valet services, child care, and Wi-Fi.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

The camp is approached via a short drive from the reserve’s own runway. Flights into Tswalu embark from a range of locations including Johannesburg and Cape Town. Motse is situated between two rolling mountain ranges on the border of Botswana and South Africa!

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT TSWALU MOTSE:

Guest accommodation consists of six standard suites and three family suites. These are charmingly termed ‘legae’, which means ‘little house’ in the Tswana language. All are constructed using timber, brick, thatch, and glass. Inside, you’ll find a spacious bedroom, with double bed or twin beds, mosquito netting, a standing fan, a couple of easy chairs, and an open fireplace. Other amenities include a direct dial telephone and broadband access. There’s a dressing area too, and the en-suite washroom contains a separate flush toilet, washbasin, shower, and freestanding bathtub with shower attachment. Double doors from the bedroom lead out onto a gorgeous sundeck, which is perfect for relaxing and enjoying your views of a popular waterhole. Each of the three family suites offers an extra en-suite bedroom, in addition to a central lounge flowing out onto a lovely shady terrace!

Motse’s communal lodge is made out of the same materials as the guest legae. The interiors include a pleasant lounge, featuring comfortable sofas and armchairs around coffee tables, elegant floor lighting, and a cosy fireplace. This space is open plan to the dining area, where guests enjoy delicious meals! It’s also adjacent to the bar, which is well stocked with a variety of drinks, not least a selection of South African wines from Motse’s own cellar. Both lounge and dining areas extend onto a large deck, where you can recline and dine while marvelling at the scenery! On the lodge’s mezzanine level, there’s a library complete with satellite television. Just a short distance from the main building, there’s a spa, providing soothing massages, mani-pedis, facials, and more. Its setting includes a yoga pavilion, an outdoor patio, and even a secret garden. Fitness fans can make good use of the gym, which has not only a great range of equipment but also amazing views through wide windows. Finally, Motse has a very inviting heated swimming pool!

ACTIVITIES AT TSWALU MOTSE:

Activities from Motse focus on wildlife viewing, with a few extras too.

Expertly guided game drives take place during the morning and the afternoon, covering a lot of ground within the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve and showcasing the region’s wealth of wildlife.

In total, the reserve covers over 110,000 hectares of savanna, sand dunes, and mountains – in fact, it’s the largest private reserve in South Africa!

Approximately 80 species of mammal live here, not least big cats such as the famous Kalahari black-maned lion, alongside leopard and cheetah. Smaller predators in residence include spotted hyena, jackals, and wild dog, while the herbivore count features white rhino, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, and all sorts of antelopes.

Bird populations are impressive too, with keen birders looking out for some of the country’s endangered raptors and the rare orange river partridge.

The lodge’s bush walks are all about observing the smaller lives of the reserve, although you can enjoy tracking big game too. Walks are also available at night, and during your nocturnal stroll you can look out for aardvark, aardwolf, porcupine, and the enchanting pangolin! NB: Please note, this activity has a minimum age requirement of 16 years.

However, everyone can take part in visits to local meerkat colonies and horseback rides.

You can also head out to the nearby Korannaberg Hills to admire the 380,000-years-old San Rock art.

Stargazing at the lodge is possible too, and you can spend a night on the Malori sleep-out deck, drifting off to sleep under the African skies following a tasty evening meal! Motse offers child care, and lodge activities for youngsters include mini bush walks, wildlife tracking, and archery.

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